Northampton mayor raps state over voting deadline
NORTHAMPTON, Mass.—Northampton's mayor has criticized the state for setting what he calls an arbitrary deadline forcing Northampton to schedule a separate municipal election for a charter change question.
Mayor David J. Narkewicz told the Daily Hampshire Gazette ( http://bit.ly/P1d97n) that the city was not informed until mid-July of Secretary of State William Galvin's decision to set a June 1 deadline for municipal questions to appear on the Nov. 6 ballot.
A spokesman for Galvin says the city solicitor, city clerk and Northampton's legislative delegation were notified in May.
The charter change seeks to extend the mayoral term from two years to four, authorizing the council president instead of the mayor to serve as chair of the City Council and other changes.
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Information from: Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, Mass.), http://www.gazettenet.com
